Camille Janszen

Music has been an essential part of my life almost from birth. As the son of a sound editor and saxophonist, music was instilled in me from birth. During my primary school years, I was often confined to bed because of asthma and I listened to the offshore radio stations a lot. Due to lack of money, I had been given an old tube radio and when the DJ started talking, I pressed the on/off button and announced the next record myself. The printed copy of the Top 40 was in front of me, so I knew which record was coming. I soon made my first programs and was asked to provide the music at school parties.

Later, all my hard-earned money was spent on singles and every Friday afternoon I was ready to go at the radio to record the missing numbers from the hit parade, fervently hoping that the DJ would not fill the intro of the record. Fiddling with a mixing console, cables, cassette recorders and causing interference with a 3 watt FM transmitter, it was all part of it. I was privileged to live close to the Soesterberg air base and to be able to receive the English-language military station AFN well. It was a welcome alternative to Hilversum 3. My taste was influenced by all the music that was hardly heard here on the only remaining pop station.

My great example is Casey Kasem. His American Top 40 was a breath of fresh air with his beautiful voice, the information about the artists and the beautiful polyphonic jingles sung in harmony compared to the pillarized public broadcasting that was still rock solid in the saddle at the time. The 80s were all about music and radio for me. At the end of the 70s I became a shop assistant in a record store. From 1982 to 1989 I worked full time in a record store in Bussum. On weekends I played at various drive-in shows all over the country, I was a regular club DJ in a number of discos and youth centers. I also provided programs for various radio stations, including Digitaal FM in Baarn. At the same time, I got to know American soldiers from the base. Most of them became good friends of mine and also taught me to speak fluent English.

At the end of that illustrious period, I opted for a serious job and went to college. I have had a cross-media company for 20 years, do voice-over jobs, and still play all kinds of music on all kinds of occasions and festivities twice a month on average. I keep up with developments in automation and I am very busy with social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The highlight of my radio career was a guest appearance on the station KIX Country 104 in St. Louis in the US with 2.5 million listeners. My musical taste is very broad. What appeals to me most, both musically and lyrically, is new country. This no longer resembles country & western, but is serious pop music in which everyday themes are sung.

For me, “Classic Rock” is in second place, especially bands like: Journey, Foreigner, Styx and Heart. I also like to listen to singer/songwriters. Furthermore, all the old soul and disco stompers, say the Soul Show music from the 70s and 80s. But I also don’t turn my nose up at nice hits from the past 40 years and the alternative rock movement of today. For over 34 years I have presented the new country program ‘Hits from the Heartland’. In it many items such as the ‘Country Classic’ and ‘Nashville Now’ with news from Music City USA. In ‘Spotlight On’ I have a mini special about a group, singer or singer every week. At the beginning of the second hour I announce the new ‘Mighty Roadroller’. Furthermore, the latest item is: ‘The Dutch Barn’. Contemporary country from our own soil. Finally, I will also give you an overview of the Billboard Country Airplay Top 10. When the program is over, you will be fully up to date with the latest developments in country music

Dj